How to Say "compassionate" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “compassionate” is “humanitario” — use 'humanitario' when referring to actions or aid that show concern for the well-being and suffering of people in general, especially in large-scale situations like disaster relief..
humanitario
/oo-mah-nee-tah-ree-oh//umaniˈtaɾjo/
Examples
La organización brindó apoyo humanitario a las víctimas del terremoto.
The organization provided humanitarian support to the earthquake victims.
La Cruz Roja envió mucha ayuda humanitaria a la región.
The Red Cross sent a lot of humanitarian aid to the region.
El actor es famoso por su labor humanitaria en África.
The actor is famous for his humanitarian work in Africa.
Liberaron al prisionero por razones humanitarias.
They released the prisoner for humanitarian reasons.
Gender Matching
This word changes its ending based on the thing it describes. Use 'humanitario' for masculine words (like 'trabajo') and 'humanitaria' for feminine words (like 'ayuda').
Word Order
In Spanish, this word almost always comes after the noun you are describing. Instead of saying 'humanitarian aid,' you say 'aid humanitarian' (ayuda humanitaria).
Humanitario vs. Humano
Mistake: “Using 'humano' to mean 'charitable'.”
Correction: Use 'humano' for biological things (like 'the human body') and 'humanitario' for actions that help others (like 'humanitarian work').
piadoso
/pyah-DOH-soh//pjaˈðoso/
Examples
Fue un gesto piadoso no decirle toda la verdad para protegerla.
It was a merciful gesture not to tell her the whole truth to protect her.
A veces es mejor decir una mentira piadosa para no herir sus sentimientos.
Sometimes it's better to tell a white lie so as not to hurt their feelings.
Tuvo un gesto piadoso con el prisionero.
He had a merciful gesture toward the prisoner.
La reina fue piadosa y perdonó al ladrón.
The queen was merciful and forgave the thief.
Describing actions
You can use 'piadoso' to describe both people ('ella es piadosa') and the actions they do ('un acto piadoso').
Avoid 'blanco' for lies
Mistake: “Es una mentira blanca.”
Correction: Es una mentira piadosa. In Spanish, we don't say 'white lie', we say 'pious lie'.
Humanitario vs. Piadoso
Related Translations
Learn Spanish with Inklingo
Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.